lunes, 18 de mayo de 2009

One day, Consultant X working for Company A is asked to develop a course for company B. They told Consultant X that the course should last 4 days. As Consultant X knows how consultancy works he prepare the course for 5 days. He finishes the course and send it to Company B.

After 2 weeks, Company A call Consultant X asking him, if he had finished the slides for the 10 days course...10 days, Consultant X asks...Yes, 10 days Company A answers...didn't we told you? No, answers Consultant X clearly annoyed...And I can modify my slides because I'm currently assigned to another project. No problem said Company A, we're going to assign Consultant Y, because we need to give the slides to Company B in two days.

Consultant X talks to Consultant Y who is taken by surprise...the day before, he could only delivered 6 slides, and promise the other 4 for end of the weekend.

After that Consultant X realizes that Company A plans to give the teaching of the course to Consultant B...8 classes for him and 2 for Consultant B, also Company B wants to left no trace of Company A or Consultant A and B on the slides. They seem to have bought not only a course, but all the content of the slides.

Everything gets a weird turn, because Consultant A is currently on a project and Consultant B is going to assign to a new project so he told Consultant A, that he's not going to be able to give the course...so who's going to make it? Ask Consultant A even more annoyed...I really don't know, but I don't think it's our problem anymore, answers Consultant B, also annoyed.

So...do you think it's fair to ask a Consultant to develop a course, that's is not going to be own by him anymore and it's doesn't even going to be teach by him? I don't think so...one think is to sell IP of programs developed in a Company because they paying for consulting work and after all they are going to use the applications developed...but if you buy a course...can you claim to be the owner of this course? Can you cheat you worker to develop a course that is going to be sold without his permission? In this case, there's nothing else to do...you have been cheated and need to face the consequences...the course doesn't belong to you anymore...so the only decent thing to do, it's refuse to teach it is they ask you...

This story might be true or false...it can happen to you or me...in this world of consulting, you have to be aware of everything, because you don't know when the odds are going to play against you...